Neil Diamond Biography & News

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About Neil Diamond

Neil Diamond inks long-term contract with Capitol Records

He is one of the world's premier recording artists, a record-breaking concert performer and revered by his peers and the general public as a great songwriter. Now, Neil Diamond has a long-term, historic contract with Capitol Records to illustrate and safeguard his accomplishments.

Diamond has inked a long-term agreement with Capitol Records that unites his complete Columbia, Universal Music and Bang catalogues – encompassing his entire body of work – from his first recordings through present day. The agreement also puts Diamond back under the umbrella of Universal Music where he achieved many hit singles and albums in the 1960s and 70s.

According to Universal Music Group (UMG) Chairman & CEO Lucian Grainge, "There are few moments in my career that make me as proud as having the opportunity to help bring Neil back to the Universal Music family. His remarkable body of work and enduring appeal to fans around the world puts him in very rare company among the greats. We're thrilled that Neil has selected Capitol and Universal Music as his home."

Diamond, 72, is reportedly in the process of writing songs and plans to enter the studio to record a new album later this year. Concurrently, a comprehensive plan for his catalogue is being drawn up by Capitol and Universal Music, in conjunction with Diamond and his management team.
Though Diamond isn't currently touring, fans hoping to hear his music in person will be happy to know they'll get the chance this August. That's when singer Peter Byre and the New Zealand International Orchestra will present "Neil Diamond's Hot August Night" on stage.

Diamond still sweet on "Sweet Caroline" (Updated August 2, 2013)

Neil Diamond's live appearances have been his bread and butter in 2013. Or maybe we should say his heart and soul. And ours.

Of course, Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" has forever linked him to the city of Boston, where fans at every Red Sox home game sing the song during the eighth inning. But the song took on even more meaning when the superstar made an unannounced appearance at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 to serenade the crowd. It was the first game at Fenway since the bombings at the Boston Marathon, and helped in the healing process at stadiums across the Major Leagues.

Of course, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer wasn't done. On July 4 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., Diamond gave the first live performance of his new single "Freedom Song (They'll Never Take Us Down)." He performed the song from the Lexus Presidents Club behind home plate in the bottom of the third inning of a Nationals' game, and wrote it following the Boston bombings and a visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

To cap off Independence Day, Diamond performed live on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol as part of "A Capitol Fourth," which was broadcast nationally by PBS. A few weeks later, he again sang "Sweet Caroline" – this time at Major League Baseball's All-Star Game.

About Neil Diamond

Singer, songwriter and grandmaster of pop, Neil Diamond, for much of his storied career, has had his finger on the pulse of what his audiences want, and has delivered time after time, decade after decade. He composed songs more than forty years ago that are still played on pop radio, and his long list of classic tunes continue to be covered by today's bands. Not that Neil Diamond isn't still performing them himself, and with Neil Diamond tickets you can hear the classic hits performed directly by the artist who created them. Songs like "Cherry, Cherry", "Solitary Man," "Kentucky Woman," "Red, Red Wine" and "Sweet Caroline" (a favorite of Boston Red Sox fans), and that's only a few samples from the 1960's.

Neil Leslie Diamond was born in 1941 in Brooklyn, New York, and received his first guitar at age 16. It didn't take him long to start writing songs, but he didn't hit songwriting success until about 10 years later. Still, with all the pop stardom Diamond had in the 1960's, he was only getting warmed up. His 1970's chart-makers include "Shilo," "Solitary Man," "Cracklin' Rosie," and "I'm a Believer," which became a hit two more times when the Monkees and Smashmouth both took a turn. There was also "Song Sung Blue," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" and "Forever in Blue Jeans."

To date Neil Diamond has recorded more than 40 albums, selling over 115 million records worldwide. At least 56 of his songs have made Billboard's Hot 100 list of the most heard songs. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

On August 10, 2012 the musical icon crowned his nearly five-decade career with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It can be found on Vine Street, in front of the landmark Capital Record Building, and was unveiled just a day before he launched a series of concerts at the city's Greek Theater. The septuagenarian also played the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas the following month.

Neil Diamond Discography

Album name

Release date

The Very Best of Neil Diamond: The Original Studio Recordings

2011

The Bang Years: 1966-1968

2011

Dreams

2010

10 Favorites

2009

Hot August Night/NYC

2009

A Cherry Cherry Christmas

2009

Home Before Dark

2008

The Best of Neil Diamond

2006

Gold

2005

The Christmas Album

2005

12 Songs

2005

Stages

2003

Play Me: The Complete Uni Studio Recordings... Plus!

2002

The Very Best of Neil Diamond

2002

The Essential Neil Diamond

2001

The Essential

2001

Three Chord Opera

2001

The Best of Neil Diamond

2000

Hot August Night (disc 2)

1999

20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Neil Diamond

News

October 01, 2014

Neil Diamond Announces 2015 North American Tour

Get excited, Diamond Heads! Neil Diamond has announced he’ll be “Coming to America” (as well as Canada and Mexico) next year. The "Cracklin' Rosie" singer will be kicking things off at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA, on February 27. From there, it’s a run up into Canada and New England. He’ll play the Wells…

Considered by many to be the greatest live album of all time, it's been forty years since Neil Diamond recorded the seminal Hot August Night at L.A.'s Greek Theatre. To mark the anniversary of this ca…

Yesterday we looked at Bruce Springsteen's upcoming tour, and today we have news of another musical legend hitting the road in 2012, Neil Diamond. Neil Diamond's career spans decades, but he is still …